The Union Cabinet has approved the 8th Pay Commission to revise salaries and pensions for central government employees. Key highlights include upcoming leadership appointments and a comparison with the 7th Pay Commission, which brought significant increases in basic pay and pensions.
- Approval: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the setup of the 8th Pay Commission.
- Purpose: To revise the salaries of central government employees and allowances for pensioners.
- Leadership: A chairman and two members will be appointed soon, as stated by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
- Timeline: Pay commissions are typically set up once every decade.
- Previous Commission:
- The 7th Pay Commission was established in 2016 and is set to conclude in 2026.
- Key changes introduced:
- Fitment factor: 2.57 (against the 3.68 demanded by unions).
- Minimum basic pay: Increased from ₹7,000 (6th Pay Commission) to ₹18,000 per month.
- Minimum pension: Increased from ₹3,500 to ₹9,000.
- Maximum salary: ₹2,50,000.
- Maximum pension: ₹1,25,000.
- Coverage:
- Includes civil services employees of the central government and those paid from the Consolidated Fund of India.
- Excludes employees of public sector undertakings (PSUs), autonomous bodies, and gramin dak sevaks.
- PSUs have their separate pay scales.
Reference : HT
